Black Heart
by Kalli
Summary: She lived in a dark life. He lived a lonely one. But, one letter changes both their lives forever. In her darkness, she may have found a light. In his loneliness, he may have found a companion. SS , ET
1. Sakura,the Dark Cherry Blossom

Hello! Kalli here. If anyone reading this has read some of my other fics, then they know I usually do the intro with a guest and all that good stuff. But I thought I'd try the shorter author's note thing and see if that worked better, and this is a new style of writing that I haven't done much before this. So, enjoy!  
  
Key:  
  
"words"- speaking  
  
'words'- thinking  
  
~~~words~~~ - scene change  
  
#$words#$- P.O.V. change. (I won't be using this one much since for the most part, the chapters are gonna be in just one person's P.O.V. the whole time)  
  
(A/N-...)- Authors note  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own CardCaptor Sakura, Cardcaptors (blech.), or any of it's characters, plot, etc.  
  
Notes: Sakura will be very OOC, but only because it fits this particular story. Her personality will probably change a little bit and get warmer with each chapter, so it'll switch around some.  
  
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Sakura- The Dark Cherry Blossom  
  
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~~~Tomoeda Park~~~ #$ Sakura P.O.V.#$  
  
I sighed as I slowly moved the lit cigarette away from my mouth and watched the smoke coming from it rise into the air and quickly evaporate after about 1 foot.  
  
The season was changing from summer to fall, and I hated it. 'Why is it that it always just varies between warm and cold so if you dress thinking it's gonna be cold, you end up sweating like a pig, and if you were the warm weather stuff, you freeze your ass off?'  
  
My least favorite time of year.  
  
The switch between the 2 seasons.  
  
The dying trees always reminded me of depressing things, like death. To other people, the pretty colors coming in at this time of year made them think of how gorgeous everything is and how lovely it would be to go on a hike, or camping, or something outdoorsy.  
  
I was never the outdoorsy type. The only time I was outside a lot was to either go to the park, where I currently am, and think, or have a smoke, because they were starting to put monitors near the girl's bathroom to keep people from smoking in them.  
  
I greatly preferred to stay inside and keep to myself. I wasn't exactly the most social person in the world. There were people I got along with, that I suppose you could call friends, but I only had 1 friend close to me.  
  
I was about to put my cigarette back in my mouth to finish off the last bit off it before it completely burned out, but someone grabbed it from me.  
  
I whipped around, ready to punch the bastard that had just taken my cigarette, and saw my best friend, Tomoyo standing there, with a quirked eyebrow, and an expression that said 'Shame on you.'  
  
"Sakura Kinomoto, how many times have I told you that smoking is bad for your health?"  
  
"I'm thinkin' somewhere between 1000 and 1 billion. How'd you know I was here?"  
  
"If you're not at home, then your almost always here." She sighed and shook her head. "Honestly, you should quit. Your gonna get a hole in your throat and have to have surgery, or-"  
  
"Die a horrible death at an early age?"  
  
"I was gonna say lung cancer, but, yeah, that too." She said, then stomped it out under her foot and threw the butt of it into the nearest trashcan.  
  
I rolled my eyes. That was just Tomoyo for ya.  
  
When I was a kid, a happy cheerful 3-year-old, our parents had introduced us to each other and we'd been play mates for a few years, then when we went into kindergarten, we'd been friends, and in elementary, we had remained close and stayed best friends.  
  
In Junior High, though, my mother, Nadeshiko, had died, and I'd gone into a state of depression for weeks. I hardly ate anything, if I did eat, I didn't talk any, except to say a rare "Thanks" or "Sure."  
  
I sat in my room and wouldn't let anyone in to talk to me, not my Dad, my older brother, Touya, or Tomoyo.  
  
And for a few weeks, they let me be, but forced me to eat at least a little bit.  
  
But, finally, I'd actually realized that my mother was gone, and wasn't coming back.  
  
At the time when I'd realized this, Touya had been at school and Dad had been out getting groceries, so I'd been alone in the house.  
  
I'd started screaming, and destroying everything in my path, anything I could get my hands on, I'd smash against a wall, or kick out of my way, I'd stumbled through the house, blinded by tears, and then I'd reached the kitchen, where I'd paused, gathering some sense about me.  
  
Then, I'd grabbed the sharpest knife in the kitchen I could find, calmly stepped over everything I'd destroyed in my path of destruction, occasionally pricking my foot on glass, but I didn't feel anything. Except complete numbness.  
  
I marched up to my room, took the knife, smiled, and sliced my wrist open, then watched the blood pour out. I'd quickly let myself fall to the floor, and slowly drifted off, thinking about joining my mother in heaven.  
  
But, Tomoyo had come by with some soup she wanted me to eat, and that was how she found me shortly after my suicide attempt.  
  
Apparently, she had freaked out, then called 911, gotten an ambulance over in less than 5 minutes, and had me rushed to the hospital, where I had woken up days later, or so she told me.  
  
And when I woke up, there was Tomoyo, by my side, holding my hand, with bags under her eyes, looking like she hadn't slept in days, which, it turned out, she hadn't.  
  
She had smiled and told me it was okay, everything was gonna be all right. She had convinced me to stay alive; she was the person I stayed alive for. I loved my father and my brother, but Tomoyo was the one person in my life who was always there for me.  
  
After I was out of the hospital, it was Tomoyo who had helped me get my life back on track, Tomoyo who had defended me if anyone made cruel jokes, Tomoyo who had let me weep on her shoulder while I spilled out all my troubles, Tomoyo who was and always had been there for me, no matter what.  
  
She was what defined the meaning of a true friend. She was usually an optimistic person, who looked out for me, and, even though it was rarely needed since she didn't have any enemies, I looked out for her.  
  
Thing is, even though I got over my deep depression, I never quite got over losing my mom.  
  
So, I'd started smoking the illegal stuff, and instead of being cheerful and happy like before, I was much tougher, and didn't take shit from anybody.  
  
Tomoyo had finally convinced me to give up all the drugs I got off the street, but I had kept on smoking cigarettes.  
  
I'd changed.  
  
There was no motherly figure to guide me like there had been before, so I just tried to shut the world out.  
  
And here I was in High school, a sophomore, still smoking, still best friends with Tomoyo, but I was slightly warmer.  
  
There was a small group of people that I hung out with some at school, and sometimes would go to a movie or something with them, but they weren't close. Only Tomoyo was close to me.  
  
Don't get me wrong, they were good people that you could get close to, but it was just hard for me to trust anyone at this point.  
  
"So, Sakura, what are you doing for the rest of the weekend?"  
  
I snorted. "Why do you even bother asking? You know that I never do anything on the weekends."  
  
"You should get out more. Your skin's so pale, but you'd look great with a tan."  
  
"And what do you want me to do? Go to the beach and sit in the sun surrounded by noisy people and girls that giggle constantly whenever a guy walks by? Or would you prefer I go to a tanning salon and lay in a coffin with fluorescent lights for a few hours?"  
  
She sighed. "Neither. But maybe we could go to the beach this summer, huh?"  
  
I shrugged. "Maybe. You know I'm not a beachy person."  
  
"Wanna go to a movie or something tomorrow?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"How about 'Kill Bill'?"  
  
"Whatever's fine."  
  
She sighed. "Do you just completely not care?"  
  
"I don't care about anything."  
  
Tomoyo looked a little hurt at that comment.  
  
I gave a small smile. "Don't take it like that, Tomoyo. I care about you, my family, and my other friends. I'm just neutral on everything else."  
  
"What about the greater sex?"  
  
"I wouldn't know, I'm a virgin. And I believe you are too, unless you have something you want to tell me that I don't know about."  
  
"There's probably nothing you don't know about me." She paused, then gave me a pointed look. "And just to let you know, when I said 'the greater sex', I meant which gender is the best between male or female."  
  
"I'm neutral on that too. And actually, there is something I don't know about you. I don't know exactly what hour, minute, and second you were born."  
  
"That's true, but only the mother and the doctor and nurses that birthed me know that."  
  
"But I pretty much know everything else. I know how many boyfriends you've had, and what grade they were in, and when you had them, all your favorite things, and that you have a big-ass crush on Eriol Hiirigizawa."  
  
She gasped. "Sakura! I do not!"  
  
"I also know when you're lying."  
  
She scowled at me. "Fine. But don't tell him!"  
  
"You know I won't."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Eriol was one of my friends at school, and Tomoyo's crush. He'd transferred from England in 8th grade, so we'd known him for a while. I had to admit, he was pretty good looking. He had midnight blue hair about halfway to the bottom of his ears, dark blue eyes that twinkled a lot behind his glasses, making them look shinier than they really were.  
  
"So, you wanna go shopping after the movie? You've just been sitting around the park smoking all day today, so we need to take you shopping and get you something to do."  
  
"Well, alright. But don't try to convince me to take up pottery or something. Me and wet clay just don't mix too well."  
  
She laughed lightly. "Alright, fine. I won't."  
  
"Say, Tomoyo, what time is it?"  
  
"I don't know. I didn't wear a watch today."  
  
I glanced around quickly at some of the people in the park to see if any of them were wearing a watch. Fortunately, there was a woman sitting on a bench by the sandbox, watching over the kid I assumed was her son.  
  
I got up from the bench I had been sitting on, and walked over. "Excuse me, could you tell me the time?" I asked her politely.  
  
"Oh yes, it's......." she trailed off momentarily to glance at her watch. "6:17."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Your welcome." She replied with a smile.  
  
I started walking, with Tomoyo by my side, back to my house, trying my best to step over the leaves that were falling, and having no luck at it.  
  
Tomoyo laughed as I jumped to the side to avoid a small brown leaf that had fallen in front of me.  
  
"You seem slightly paranoid about those leaves, Sakura."  
  
I scowled at her. "I just don't like getting them stuck to my shoe, then having to peel them off later."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "All in the joys of fall, I suppose."  
  
"Yeah, sure. The joys."  
  
"Why do you hate the fall so much?"  
  
I was silent for a moment, trying to come up with a good answer. "Because it always varies between temperatures, and it gets on my nerves."  
  
"It's not THAT bad. C'mon, surely you don't just hate fall for no reason?"  
  
I paused before answering again. "It reminds me of mom."  
  
Tomoyo immediately looked regretful.  
  
I kept the cold expression on my face, but Tomoyo could read me like a book, and knew it was hurting on the inside.  
  
"Fall was her favorite season, it was the season when she met Dad when he became the new teacher at her school. She always loved it, ever since then."  
  
Tomoyo stepped in front of me with a sorrowful look and quickly embraced me. "I'm sorry. I should've thought of that."  
  
"You were just curious." I said, but my voice trembled.  
  
She backed away, then slung an arm over my shoulder, and started walking again. "Gods, it's cold today."  
  
"You're telling me. I was out there in the park for a few hours, and  
  
"I'm getting cold out here. I should've brought my heavy jacket instead."  
  
"See, I told you the temperature changes around!"  
  
She threw a leaf at me and it got caught in my hair. I frantically pulled it out and gave her a ferocious glare. She just snickered. "Yeah, and-?"  
  
"You're goin down!" I cried, as I took a huge armful of leaves and dumped them on her head.  
  
She gasped and stood there shocked. "Ok, now you're in for it!"  
  
I smiled, for the first time that day, and ran down the street, yelling taunts at her as she grabbed a bunch of leaves in her hands, and started running with them.  
  
But when she finally caught up with me, there were only a few left because all the others had been blown away by the wind.  
  
She took the remaining leaves, and stuffed them into my hair, then ruffled it up some for a messy effect.  
  
"I'll get you back Sakura, oh yes, I will get you back when your not expecting it."  
  
"You wish. You can't beat me when it comes to leaf-throwing."  
  
"But snowballs are colder, harder, and easier to run with and throw than leaves. And we all know who rules at snowballs." She said smugly.  
  
"Just because you nailed me a few times last year....." I mumbled.  
  
"A few times? Sakura, I creamed you in every snowball fight we had."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Tomoyo grinned, but didn't say anything more.  
  
~~~The next day~~~  
  
Tomoyo had come by to get me at about 12, so we grabbed some lunch and got our tickets early, then sat back to watch the show. It wasn't bad, pretty entertaining really, but after about 1 hour of sitting in a theater chair, I'm ready to explode.  
  
I had yet to make it through any of the Lord of the Rings movies, even though I liked them.  
  
After it ended, much to my relief, we quickly got out of our seats and Tomoyo laughed, saying how people had been glaring at me because I had been squirming around so much.  
  
I rolled my eyes. "They'll get over it."  
  
"So, ready to go shopping?"  
  
"Not really. What are we shopping for anyway?"  
  
"How about a Halloween costume?"  
  
"What for? I don't trick or treat anymore."  
  
"You could go to Naoko's costume party. They're actually letting her have one this year."  
  
I pretended to sink back in fear. "And be around PEOPLE?!"  
  
She lightly slapped my arm. "Sakura!"  
  
"Kidding. Maybe I'll go."  
  
Naoko was another friend from school. She was really big into horror and the supernatural stuff. She had glasses, straight brown hair almost always worn with a headband, and brown eyes to match.  
  
In case your starting to think it's a big group of friends I have, I should let you know now, it's not.  
  
There are only 7 in all, including myself, Tomoyo, Eriol, and Naoko. The other 3 were Rika, Chiharu, and Chiharu's boyfriend, Yamazaki.  
  
Rika would make the perfect wife. She's clean, likes to cook, sew, and is kind to everyone. She was also pretty, with short, curly dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. She was also the most mature.  
  
Chiharu could be bossy, mainly with Yamazaki, but she was a generally nice person. I'd never seen her hair down, but I imagine it was pretty long, seeing as she kept it in 2 big braids on either side of her head.  
  
Yamazaki loved to make up stupid stories, explaining the 'history' of some random thing or the other.  
  
There, now you know a little bit about them. Hope that helped.  
  
"If you do go, what're you gonna go as?"  
  
"I dunno. How about a dark rocker chic who likes the color black?"  
  
"Sakura, you can't go as yourself, so don't try to weasel out of it."  
  
"How fucked up is that?"  
  
"Not really, seeing as how it's tradition to dress up as something other than yourself for just 1 day of they whole year."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"So, what are you gonna be."  
  
"My pretty pony, what'd you think I was gonna be?" I answered sarcastically.  
  
"Seriously, Sakura. What are you gonna be?"  
  
"Maybe I'll be the devil this year."  
  
"Suits you." She said dryly.  
  
"What about you, Tomoyo?"  
  
"Actually, I was thinking about being the Grim Reaper."  
  
"I like it. It sounds like a fun job. If there was somebody you didn't like, you could just come up and say 'Oh, hey, it's your time to die. What a shame you have to go at such a young age, but oh well, that's the way it goes.'"  
  
"Your such a sadist, Sakura."  
  
"And damn proud of it, thankyouverymuch."  
  
Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "Yuh-huh. Aren't you the kind one?"  
  
"What, you mean it's not drop-dead obvious?"  
  
"Sarcasm is also your middle name."  
  
"Actually, it's my 4th to last name."  
  
"Sakura!"  
  
"Ok, I'll shut up!" I said, rolling my eyes jokingly.  
  
There was a pause before Tomoyo spoke again. "Do you really feel like shopping?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Good. Cause I already have the stuff I need for my costume, and there's nothing else I want, unless I wanted to blow my money on something stupid."  
  
"That's so mature of you, Tomoyo."  
  
She grinned. "Mom says the same thing. But, truthfully, I'm saving up money to get my own car."  
  
"When you could just get your mom to buy you one?"  
  
"It's a pride thing."  
  
I shrugged. "Your call."  
  
"C'mon, let's go home."  
  
We waited at the bus stop for about 20 minutes, until a bus finally came by. Have you ever been so happy that something came, but then when you found out something bad about it, it wasn't so great anymore?  
  
Well, that's how it feels when you r freezing your ass off for 20 minutes, then a bus finally comes, and you wanna scream 'Hallelujah!', but then you get on and find that you have to stand because all the seats are taken, and the last few standing spots are next to someone who smells like they haven't bathed in a week, and they rolled in the mud to go with it.  
  
So, me and Tomoyo had to endure this horrible torture for quite a while, until the bus finally reached my stop, and let me get off.  
  
I waved at Tomoyo, whose face was just screaming 'Help Me!' from the bus window.  
  
I shook my head and smirked. I think she might've flipped me off when I walked back in the house, but I didn't care.  
  
She was the one stuck on that damn bus, not me.  
  
My older brother Touya was sitting at the table studying when I walked in. He looked up at me and asked "Hey kaiju. Where have you been?"  
  
"The park. I met up with Tomoyo there. And I'm not a kaiju."  
  
"Whatever. Oh yea, Dad told me to tell you he's cooking Tempura for dinner."  
  
"Sounds good. Where is he?"  
  
"He's at the store getting stuff. Anything interesting happen at the mall?"  
  
"No."  
  
He shrugged and went back to studying.  
  
I walked upstairs to my room and threw my jacket on the floor to join the messy pile of clothes that was slowly forming into a mountain, then flopped down on my bed with a heavy sigh.  
  
'School day tomorrow. Yay.' I thought, a frown upon my face.  
  
I shoved myself up, grabbed my uniform, and threw it on the back of the chair in front of my desk so I'd be ready the next morning.  
  
I yawned, and decided I'd just go ahead and sleep anyway. It was late enough. Even if it was only 6. Like I cared.  
  
I snorted at that. Like I care about anything, really. But, sometimes, I still wonder what would've happened if I'd been successful at my suicide.  
  
I glanced down at the scar on my wrist briefly, then shook my head and tried to fall asleep.  
  
But I couldn't help it, I kept on thinking about what would've happened.  
  
I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the thoughts, then grabbed the small container of sleeping pills I'd bought for times like this, and shoved 2 of them down my dry throat.  
  
I nearly gagged because of the horrible taste and the fact that it felt like the pill had gotten stuck in my throat.  
  
But after a few minutes, I was knocked out.  
  
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The End .  
  
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Well, I hoped you guys liked the 1st chapter of this. It's my first try at posting a story like this, so I hope people liked it! If you would feel so obliged, please leave a review! Even if it's just to tell me that you read it or something! Flames are welcome, and suggestions are appreciated! 


	2. Syaoran, the Lone Wolf

Hey guys! I'm really pleased with the reviews I got! ^^ Here's the replies/thanks:  
  
BIT!- Thank u so much! ^^  
  
Cherryblossomprincess- Thanx! ^~ I know this wasn't the fastest update you've ever seen, but I hope u continue to read it.  
  
SweetBabyGurl- Wow, I'm really flattered by your review! Not only was it the longest one I got, it was extremely nice of you to praise this story so kindly! As for their personalities, well, Syaoran's kinda in between, but he might start leaning in one direction soon. And yes, I would love some ideas! I think you'd do a fine job writing a story like this! And if you ever decide to, I promise I'll review!  
  
Garfunkelzsnugglebunny- She won't meet someone at the party, but someone will be there...and thanks to you, I have a new idea to put in one of the later chapters! Thanks!  
  
Candyland- Indeed. But, it'll get better. She deserves happiness in life, ne?  
  
I'm glad to know this story isn't a total failure. The last chapter was basically about Sakura, her past, etc., and it was from her P.O.V., so this chapter is about Syaoran, his past, etc. , and it's in his P.O.V.  
  
Also, I think I forgot to mention it, but the key and disclaimer will apply to every chapter throughout the story! ^^ Cuz it's gets annoying typing the same thing over and over and it just delays the story being written........kinda like this author's note is doing right now, so I'll get on with it.  
  
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Syaoran- The Lone Wolf  
  
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~~~Li Mansion~~~#$Syaoran P.O.V.#$  
  
'148,149,150! Done.' Was my relief-bringing thought as I let the heavy sword drop from my aching arms and make a 'clang' sound as it hit the floor.  
  
I quickly looked around to make sure nobody had seen me. I knew what happened if I dropped the sword so carelessly in front of an elder....  
  
A few weeks ago, I had been training, but I was getting tired, so I had stupidly thrown the sword down, unaware that Mother and one of my elder Uncles were watching, keeping a safe distance so they didn't disturb me.  
  
But, after they had seen that, they immediately came out of their hiding place yelling, scaring the hell out of me.  
  
So that I remembered never to drop a sword so foolishly again, they had punished me with 200 swings with the heaviest sword and stayed until I was done. Of course, this resulted in a very sore, very tired arm.  
  
Of course, that had taught me a very important lesson: Make sure no one's watching if your going to drop a sword.  
  
It's not that I didn't know that. I'd heard reasons about why I shouldn't millions of times. Ya know, the usual, you could accidentally amputate your foot, or something stupid like that.  
  
But I've been in training for sword fighting, martial arts, and let's not forget education, the key to the future (yeah....sure), for basically my whole life. All 15 years of it.  
  
And it got pretty tiring. I needed something new.  
  
It's hard to explain how I feel. It's like you want to do something, but you kind of don't? For example, smoke. Even if you say you don't, admit it, you're curious. You don't want to because you know it's not good for you, but on the other hand, you want to know what it's like.  
  
That's sort of how I felt. I wanted to go somewhere else, but I was nervous. What would happen if I went outside of the boundaries that I'd grown up in? Would I be shunned, or known as a loner as I am here? Or would I find a whole new world?  
  
I'd probably never know. I was scheduled to rule over the Li clan when I was of age and our current leader, my mother, thought I was ready. When that responsibility was passed to me, I was also supposed to wed my cousin, Meiling.  
  
Unless I find someone else. Don't get me wrong, Meiling's a great cousin, but she's just a little........  
  
"SHAORAN!" was the only warning I got before Meiling flung herself onto my back and wrapped my neck in the iron grip of her arms.  
  
"There you are, sweetheart! I've been looking all over for you! Why don't you come and have some tea with me outside today, huh?"  
  
As I was saying, she's a little weird, not to mention her personality reminds me slightly of a leech.  
  
I sighed. "Meiling, maybe another time. I'm about to meditate."  
  
"That's what you always say! And then you only meditate for like, what, 5 seconds?!"  
  
"Usually at least 30 minutes."  
  
She pouted. "I know you dropped your sword again! I'll tell the elders if you don't have tea with me!"  
  
I gave her the smoothest smile I could. "You wouldn't REALLY do that, would you?"  
  
She faltered a little. "I guess not. But promise you'll have tea with me soon!"  
  
"Fine."  
  
She then let out a bright, happy smile. "Then I shall see you later, my darling!" and ran off.  
  
She was also on the moody side. I slowly sat down on the floor and tried to clear my mind.  
  
But I still couldn't get the nagging thought out of my head about going somewhere new.  
  
Then, I heard footsteps approaching me. I opened one eye and saw the butler, Wei, standing there with an envelope in hand and a hesitant look on his face.  
  
"What is it, Wei?"  
  
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Shaoran-sama, but I just thought you'd like to see the letter your cousin has written you."  
  
"You mean Meiling's writing me love letters now?" I said with a frown. 'That is not good.'  
  
Weit chuckled deeply and shook his head. "No, your cousin Eriol has written you from Japan."  
  
That was just so much better. Ok.......Eriol WAS actually better than Meiling, but not by much. He was calmer, more relaxed, and even slightly mysterious. But he just LOVED teasing me in all the twisted ways he could find.  
  
"Oh, goody." I spoke flatly, taking the letter and giving the outside a quick glance before ripping it open.  
  
"Is there anything else you need?"  
  
I shook my head. "No, thank you."  
  
Wei bowed slightly and walked swiftly out of the room.  
  
After he had left, I took the letter out, and a picture poked up out of the envelope. I quirked an eyebrow and decided to look at it after I read the letter.  
  
It read:  
  
"Dear Syaoran,  
  
Hope your doing well in Hong Kong, along with the elders and Meiling. I thought I'd write and tell you how it's going here in Japan. I'm currently attending the local school in the town of Tomoeda, near Tokyo. It's a nice town, with an amusement park, tons of shops, and a friendly atmosphere. I think you'd like it, it'd be a nice change from Hong Kong.  
  
I've made quite a few good friends, and there's even a girl I'm growing particularly fond of. Her name's Daidouji Tomoyo. Does the name sound familiar? Her mom, Daidouji Sonomi is the owner of the Toy Company that made all those cute toys you used to play with when you were little.  
  
Enclosed is a picture of me with some of my friends from school. From the left: Rika, Naoko, Yamazaki, Chiharu, me (don't you think I look great?), Tomoyo, and the one looking away from the camera with that angry expression is Tomoyo's best friend, Sakura. I think you 2 would get along quite well.  
  
Everyone's curious about you since I told them I was sending a picture to my cousin, and they'd love to meet you. So, please don't hesitate to come and see us!  
  
You could stay with me, I'd be glad for the company. It's pretty much a ghost town when Nakuru's out, and she comes and goes rather randomly at all, and I mean ALL hours of the day. You ought to come and stay for a year, like I'm doing. It's much less boring than I make it sound. Hope to hear from you soon! (and take care!)  
  
Regards,  
  
Eriol Hiriigizawa."  
  
I looked down and scanned the picture, matching the names with the faces. Eriol actually didn't look great, he looked horrible. Well, not really, I'm just saying that out of spite.  
  
'Hmm. Tomoyo looks nice. And I finally have blackmail, after all these years!' Then I stopped to study the Sakura girl that Eriol said I'd get along with.  
  
She, like the others, was wearing the school uniform, but she certainly stood out. She had long auburn hair pulled into a high ponytail, black eye shadow, and black boots instead of dress shoes, like the other girls in the picture. But her most striking feature was her rare emerald green eyes.  
  
'Seems like an interesting girl.' I thought to myself.  
  
And that's when it hit me.  
  
My eyes widened as I repeated the written words in the letter over in my head.  
  
'I think you'd like it, it's a nice change from Hong Kong.'  
  
'So, please don't hesitate to come and see us!'  
  
'You could stay with me, I'd be glad for the company.'  
  
'You ought to come and stay for a year, like I'm doing.'  
  
I grinned as all the pieces fit into place in my mind.  
  
I could stay with Eriol, which would be good, since the guardian we sent with him, Nakuru, happened to be a bubbly teenage girl that wasn't exactly the most responsible in the world. She made sure he ate and had enough money for groceries or whatever he needed, but after that, she went her own way and left Eriol to fend for himself.  
  
While I was staying at Eriol's, I could study at the high school, and I'd be experiencing something new at the same time!  
  
'Oh, Eriol, for once, I'm glad your related to me.' I thought with a grin.  
  
I tucked the letter and photo back into the envelope, then walked briskly out of the room to find mother.  
  
After looking around for a while, I found her in the gardens with one of the elders, checking the roses.  
  
"Mother!" I called out to her, then bowed shortly to the elder as I approached. "Sir."  
  
I was given a swift nod and a questioning look from my mother. "Is there something you need, Shaoran?"  
  
"I request that you let me stay with Eriol and study in Japan."  
  
They both seemed surprised at my blunt statement. Finally, mother spoke up. "Well, I don't see why not. It'd be good for you to have more travel in your life. As long as Eriol is accepting of it. Why the sudden interest?"  
  
"Well, it just sounded really fun in his letter."  
  
"Letter?"  
  
I took out the letter and let her scan it quickly, until she gave a small, approving nod.  
  
"I see. Well, I suppose, you may go. I'll have Wei inform the school of your transfer, and I'll have you talk to Eriol about any other arrangements. However, I expect your grades to stay as high as they are now, no slacking!"  
  
"Yes, mother."  
  
"Good. You may go."  
  
"Yes, mother."  
  
I immediately went to put in the call to Eriol.  
  
A cheerful voice picked up halfway through the first ring. "HELLO! Is this Eriol's girlfriend?!"  
  
I blanched at the thought. "No."  
  
"Oh. Who is this?"  
  
"Syaoran."  
  
"Oh, hey Shaoran! Did you get Eriol's letter?!"  
  
"Yes. Can I talk to him?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"He's busy dreaming about To-moyoooooooooooo." She said, dragging out the 'o' like a little girl does when she's teasing her friend about their crush.  
  
"Nakuru! Give.Me.That.Phone!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Give it to me, damn you!"  
  
"You said a bad word!"  
  
"Shut up! Is that Tomoyo?"  
  
"Yep!"  
  
I heard a scuffling noise and some strangled noises. "I bet there's some left over sweets in the kitchen!"  
  
I heard some running footsteps, and a large sigh. Then Eriol's voice came over the phone. "I'm sorry about that, Tomoyo. She's crazy! I swear it. I hope my cousin takes the hint in the letter and comes to stay with me. I'm about to go insane. You remember my cousin, right? The one I told you about? That would be good for Sakura?"  
  
"Uh, this is he."  
  
"Syaoran? But, Nakuru just-oh, damn, must she ALWAYS do that?!"  
  
"Right. Look, I took the hint. Didn't know you were so desperate though."  
  
"I am and I'm not afraid to admit it."  
  
"Great." I said flatly. "Well, mother says it's fine, and Wei's checking with the school about the transfer. So, now the only problem left is......"  
  
"Meiling?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, good luck with that. Call me back after you get more info."  
  
And right before the phone clicked off, I heard him laughing in the background. I scowled at the phone before dropping it harshly into its cradle. 'Stupid Eriol.'  
  
I sighed deeply, then went off to go find Meiling. I didn't have to go far, because I found her sitting the main room, sipping tea and flipping through a magazine calmly.  
  
"Meiling?" I asked timidly.  
  
Her head snapped up so fast that I was sure she'd have whiplash. "Shaoran! Did you finally come to have tea with me?!"  
  
I walked over and pulled one of the cushioned chairs up in front of the table she was sitting at. "Yeah. Meiling, there's something I need to talk to you about."  
  
She grinned, pouring me a cup of tea. "Sure! Is something troubling you, my darling?"  
  
I forced myself to meet Meiling's curious gaze and smiling face. Even if she was clingy and very odd, she was still my cousin, and I loved her as just that.  
  
Her smile slowly faded and her expression became serious. "Something really is wrong, isn't it?"  
  
"Sorta. Meiling, I-I can't beat around the bush for this. I'm going to study in Japan with Eriol for a year, maybe more."  
  
She smiled suddenly. "Oh, is that all?"  
  
I blinked rapidly. 'She's certainly taking this better than I expected.' I gave a small smile back. "I'm glad your so accepting about this."  
  
"I'll just go with you!"  
  
'Oh, I get it now.' I frowned and shook my head. "Meiling, you can't go with me."  
  
"Sure, I can! I'm sure Aunt Yelan won't mind!"  
  
"Meiling, that's not why you can't go."  
  
She looked at me stubbornly. "Then, why CAN'T I go?"  
  
"I don't want you to."  
  
"Oh." She spoke quietly.  
  
"Don't take it the wrong way! It's just that, this is something I want to do for myself."  
  
"I see. Well, if that's how you feel.....um, when are you leaving?"  
  
"I'm not sure yet. Probably sometime within the next week."  
  
"So, you'll be gone by next Sunday?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, since you're here, how about a cup of tea before you leave us?" she smiled weakly, holding out a cup of tea with trembling hands.  
  
I took it and sipped it quietly, letting Meiling take her time to speak again.  
  
Then, I heard rapid footsteps, and Wei stepped into the room. "Shaoran- sama, I've sent the forms for your transfer to the Tomoeda school."  
  
"Thank you, Wei."  
  
"Your very welcome, Sir. I've also reserved a flight to Tokyo for you tomorrow, so I would suggest you call your cousin and begin packing."  
  
"Tomorrow?"  
  
"Yes. It leaves at 8 in the evening. Is that a problem?"  
  
"No, that'll be fine. What time will it arrive in Tomoeda?"  
  
"It's estimated to be around 10 am. Is there anything else you need?"  
  
"No, thank you."  
  
"Very well." He bowed and walked out of the room.  
  
"So, your leaving tomorrow?" came Meiling's quiet voice.  
  
"Looks like it."  
  
"Hm."  
  
"I think I'm gonna go call Eriol and tell him, okay?"  
  
She just nodded, with her eyes cast down. I had to wonder when the last time was that she'd been so quiet.  
  
I slipped out of the uncomfortable room quickly and went straight to the phone in the study. I pressed redial and held the phone up to my ear.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Eriol."  
  
A sigh of relief was heard. "Good. I thought it was Nakuru calling."  
  
"But, I thought she was home?"  
  
"Remember how I said 'random hours'?"  
  
"Oh. I see. Well, Wei has sent my forms to the school, and I've got flight reservations tomorrow. We'll get there around 10, so make sure Nakuru knows, so that I'm not stuck at the airport for a long time."  
  
"Okay. I might have a few friends stop by so you can meet some people after I get back from school."  
  
"Oh, that's right. It's a school day for you, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, but I'm sure they'd love to come meet you."  
  
"Alright. Am I gonna have to share a room with you?"  
  
"No, unfortunately." He paused long enough to hear me snicker in the background. "Something funny?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Hmm....right. Well, anyways, as I was saying, Nakuru just sleeps on the couch most nights, and she uses the linen closet to keep her clothes in, just so you know. One time, I went to go get a knew pillowcase and instead came upon...well, you get it."  
  
"Thanks for the warning. So, basically, what your trying to say is that the room that Nakuru was supposed to take, isn't used, so it's mine?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Sounds fine. I'll see you on Tuesday." (a/n- I don't know if I mentioned it, but the current day is Sunday, in case your confused!)  
  
"You too. Bye."  
  
Then I hung up with a sigh. 'Well, time to get packing.'  
  
So, I hauled my ass up the stairs and dragged out the biggest suitcase I could find, along with a smaller backpack for music and books, and got to packing, but about ¾ of the way through, I fell straight asleep.  
  
~~~The next morning~~~~  
  
I slowly opened my eyes and came face to face with something that was dark green and soft.  
  
I sleepily propped myself up and saw that the object was a pair of boxers. 'Did I somehow fall asleep in the underwear drawer?' I wondered half- asleep.  
  
Then it came back to me. Packing for Tomoeda wasn't a dream. I lanced over at the clock. 11:38. I had been out for a while.  
  
Then I heard a giggle from the door. Now, I may have been hardly awake, but I was still pretty sure they didn't giggle. "Meiling?"  
  
She poked her head in the door. "Sorry. You just looked so funny, sleeping with your face in your boxers! I couldn't stop laughing long enough to wake you."  
  
"Wow, that's so kind."  
  
"Sorry. Do you need any help?"  
  
"Um...sure, if you want to."  
  
"Yeah. I do. I mean, I'm not gonna see you for a long time, so I want to spend as much time with you as I can."  
  
I smiled gently. "Then grab a shirt and let's get going!"  
  
She nodded, and we started packing before I realized something. "Don't you have school today?"  
  
"Well, yes, but I snuck back to stay with you."  
  
"The elders are gonna be mad if they find out."  
  
"I don't care." She snapped. "This is the last day I'm going to see you for a long time!"  
  
"Ok, ok. Calm down. You can stay."  
  
She nodded her 'thanks', and put another shirt in my suitcase.  
  
~~~6 hours later~~~  
  
"That was exhausting. I didn't know you had so many clothes, Darling!"  
  
After a few hours of peace, Meiling had reverted back to her normal self and was currently chattering excitedly over a cup of green tea.  
  
"Neither did I. I think I'll take my sweet time to unpack it all once I get to Tomoeda."  
  
"Good idea."  
  
"Shaoran-sama, I hate to interrupt your conversation, but the car taking you to the ariport is waiting outside for you."  
  
"I'll be there in a minute. Are the bags loaded?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Wei got the message, and walked out, leaving Meiling and I alone.  
  
She set her cup of tea down. "I guess this is goodbye. Well, don't forget to write, and call sometimes, okay?"  
  
"I won't. Meiling, I'll miss you, I really will-"  
  
She shook her head and a little tear slipped from her eye. "Don't make this more painful."  
  
And with that said, she pulled me into a suffocating hug. I hugged her back for a while, until Wei came in and told me we needed to leave quickly.  
  
I stepped away from Meiling and smiled. "See ya."  
  
"Yeah..." was her whispered reply as she turned her back to me and headed towards the staircase.  
  
I sighed, then walked out to the car, where Wei stood, with the door open. "Do have a good time, Shaoran-sama."  
  
I smiled and waved weakly. "Take care of your self, Wei."  
  
"I will, sir, thank you."  
  
After he shut the door, he walked into the house and I looked forward out the windshield into the darkened sky.  
  
After about an hour, we reached the airport, and after dropping my bags off, the driver bid me goodbye, and I was on my own for the rest of the way.  
  
At the gate, I was greeted by one of the ever-smiling flight attendants, who wished me a good flight. I nodded in response and walked onto the plane.  
  
A few minutes later, we took off into the darkened sky. I took a deep breath and looked out the window at my home for the past 15 years. I was caught between feeling sad and being thrilled to leave. I finally decided that I should be thrilled. I'd have time to 'mourn' later.  
  
So, I took one last look out the window before slipping on headphones to listen to music.  
  
'Goodbye, Hong Kong'.  
  
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Well, the 2nd chapter wasn't nearly as dark as the last one, but hopefully, it was at least a slight tearjerker. That's what I was aiming for, but it turned out more lighthearted than I'd originally planned. Anyways, drop me a review and tell me what you think! Til' next time! ^^ 


	3. Where Ends Will Meet

*IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!!*  
  
Ok, now that I have your attention, I thought I'd let you know that I now have my own xanga page. Xanga is basically a weblog type of thing, for those who don't know. But anyway, I'm using my page to post which story I'm gonna update next, chapter progress, new ideas, etc.  
  
So, if you want to know when I'll be updating again, CHECK THE PAGE! There's a link to it on my author profile where it says 'Homepage'. Click on the link and you'll find all you need to know!  
  
Ok, now we can get to the review replies:  
  
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. Hey again! ^^ I'm really sorry about the slow updates, but you guys seem to be pretty patient about it! Thanks so much for your patience with the updates in this story! Now, for the review replies:  
  
Linda-liu – Thank u! (and mucho thanx for reviewing most of my other stories!)  
  
Lonely Tear – Yeah, this is my angsty fic of the bunch. I hate family photos too, especially if EVERYONE in your family wants a picture. Geez, people, just take them at the same time! Anyways, thanks so much! And sorry about the slow update pace......  
  
EdgeOfChaos – Aww, thank you! That's so sweet! Sorry about the slow updates! (you may have to get used to hearing this from me......*hangs head in shame*)  
  
Lavenda – I like ur pen name! Thanks for your comment, but I bet that you have a ton of talent! I'll check out ur stories sometime!  
  
Kawaii Bunnii – Well, it might not be as exciting as you think it's gonna be, but I hope u still like it! Thanks for ur review!  
  
Cherryblossomprincess – Thank you! Sorry 'bout the slow updating!  
  
DitzyLemon37 – Thank you so much! I hope it DOES turn out to be a great story that'd be a dream come true. It's just a dream for now, though!  
  
SweetBabyGurl – Well, this chapter goes back to the darker themes of Sakura, and a little more is revealed about her. Syaoran's pretty much gonna stay normal for the most part. He's much nicer here though, but still kinda shy. I'm sorry it took sooooooooo long to update (again, but I'm afraid I probably won't be much faster in my next update *sweatdrop* But I WILL update eventually!), but thanx so much for another long review! *huggles* .  
  
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Anyway, not many notes on this chapter. However, I should warn you, S+S are NOT going to like each other much at first, but their not going to hate each other either. They're going to start off with a neutral relationship. It's not gonna be a story where they meet and all the sudden their in love the next week. But, no worries, in the end, they'll like each other......maybe.  
  
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Where Ends Will Meet  
  
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~~~~~~~~Early Morning at Eriol's apartment~~~~~~~#$Normal P.O.V.#$  
  
"Okay, Nakuru, you know what to do, right? And your not gonna forget?"  
  
"Of course not! I promise not to forget Syaoran!"  
  
"Just to make sure, I'm going to the tactic of bribery. If you remember to pick Syaoran up AND tell him that my friends are coming over after school to meet him, I'll cook you a big chocolate cake as a reward."  
  
"Really?!"  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
"I won't forget!"  
  
"Remember! You have to pick him up ON TIME!!!, then tell him about everyone coming over today. Got it?"  
  
Nakuru sighed heavily and waved her hand around in the air. "Yes, I get it! You're such a control freak! Geez."  
  
"Right." Eriol rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm off to school." He said dully, then walked out the door in his uniform.  
  
After he'd gotten down the steps from the apartment, he looked back up at the building. "I give her exactly 10 minutes before she forgets."  
  
~~~~~A few hours later~~~~~  
  
Nakuru bounced around the apartment singing to the radio as she put away her laundry. Then she looked up at the clock, which read 9:32.  
  
She tapped her chin with her finger and her eyebrows creased as a thoughtful expression crossed her face. "Wasn't I supposed to do something right now?"  
  
Then her favorite song came on the radio, and she quickly dismissed the thought. "Nah, I didn't have anything to do."  
  
A few minutes later, she flipped on the TV to check what was on and a picture of downtown Hong Kong popped up on the screen, and something finally clicked in Nakuru's brain. "Hong Kong........Li Clan...Syaoran........coming to visit! Shit! I totally forgot!"  
  
She hurriedly flipped off everything and rushed out the door to get to the airport.  
  
~~~~Airport- 10:25~~~~~  
  
Syaoran checked his watch once again. 'I bet she forgot. Man, what were the elders thinking when they gave Nakuru the responsibility of being Eriol's guardian?'  
  
Suddenly, he heard an ear-piercing scream behind him. "SYYYYYYYYAAAAAAORANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
He winced, then wished that she had forgotten him so he wouldn't have to be so embarrassed at the current moment.  
  
But, there she was, scrambling towards him frantically. "Syaoran! I'm so sorry! I lost track of time! C'mon, let's grab your bags and go out to the car."  
  
She grabbed one of his suitcases and started walking briskly, hauling the heavy luggage behind her, with a dumbfounded Syaoran left with nothing to do but follow behind.  
  
After they had loaded all the bags into the car, they sat down inside and after a few minutes, they were cruising along silently.  
  
"So, Syaoran, did you have a good flight?"  
  
"Yeah. It went good."  
  
"That's nice. So, looking forward to your stay?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Great." She said, nodding and tapping her fingers against the wheel. "So, got a girlfriend yet? Besides Meiling, I mean."  
  
"Meiling doesn't let me get close enough to anyone else of the female species to have a girlfriend."  
  
Nakuru snorted. "Poor you. That's too bad, cause I'm sure there are plenty of girls that like you. You're a very attractive guy."  
  
"Is this supposed to be a pep talk?"  
  
"No. I'm just saying you're very cute."  
  
"Uh...thanks?"  
  
"Sure. Actually, why don't you give me a call in a few years?" she asked, winking quickly at him in the mirror.  
  
Syaoran froze. 'Nakuru as a girlfriend? Oh god, I'd probably die from exhaustion on the second day.'  
  
She saw his distress and laughed. "I'm kidding. But there are lots of cute girls here. But To-mo-yoooooooo is off limits!" she sang happily.  
  
"I've heard."  
  
"That's right! Cuz' Eriol likes her! And I think she likes him! She called one time and we talked for a while, but Eriol doesn't need to know that! I haven't met her yet, but I've seen her in pictures."  
  
"Yeah, Eriol sent me a picture of everybody."  
  
"I've only met Yamazaki. But everyone else looks nice too. I believe that Sakura, Naoko, and Rika are available if you're interested.........."  
  
"Eriol said that he thinks I'd like Sakura."  
  
"She sounds like an interesting character. Supposedly she's like a tortured artist or something."  
  
"Well, Eriol seems to have managed to make some interesting friends."  
  
When he got no reply from Nakuru, he looked over to see that her face was screwed up in concentration. "Nakuru?"  
  
"There was something I was supposed to tell you."  
  
"And what is it?"  
  
"I'm trying to remember. But it had something to do with Eriol's friends."  
  
"Okay."  
  
There was silence for a few minutes until she finally gasped in realization. "Oh yeah, they're coming over to meet you today after school!"  
  
"They are? All of them?"  
  
She nodded. "Yah."  
  
"Oh."  
  
She smiled proudly. "Ha! Chocolate cake, here I come!"  
  
Syaoran turned to look at her with worried eyes. "What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"Eriol said that if I remembered to come pick you up on time and tell you about his friends coming over, then he'd bake me a big chocolate cake!"  
  
"But you didn't come pick me up on time." He said coyly.  
  
She blinked, then smiled sweetly at him. "You won't tell him that, will you?"  
  
"For a price, I won't."  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"1/4 of the chocolate cake."  
  
"A fourth?!"  
  
"Take it or leave it. Eriol will trust what I tell him."  
  
She glared at him in the mirror and pouted. "Fine, ¼."  
  
"Deal. Now, I think I'm gonna catch up on some lost sleep, so if you turn on music, keep the volume down." He said, leaning back into the car seat with his eyes closed.  
  
Nakuru smiled, then turned down the volume knob to what she thought of as low volume, and flipped on the radio.  
  
Syaoran bolted up away from the back of the car seat. "TURN IT DOWN!"  
  
"It IS down!"  
  
He quickly lowered it down to where it was what normal non-deaf humans considered low volume. "Geez, Nakuru, at this rate, it's a wonder your not deaf."  
  
"Hey! Turn it back up, I can hardly hear that."  
  
"Ya know what? I think I've got a solution to our problems."  
  
"And what's that? You'll turn it back up to where I can hear it again?"  
  
"No. I'll do this." He said as he reached over and quickly turned the radio off.  
  
"I wanted to listen to something!"  
  
"Gimme a break. I just went on a 14-hour flight with a really bad in flight movie, and I sat in front of a little kid who kicked my seat every 2 freakin' seconds! I think I deserve some rest!"  
  
"Yeah, maybe you won't be so cranky if you get a nap."  
  
"Shut up and drive."  
  
"As long as it'll help your horrid mood......"  
  
Syaoran grunted, then closed his eyes and leaned back against the seat for a peaceful nap.  
  
~~~~Half an hour later~~~~  
  
"Geez, and I thought I was the one that was hard to wake up."  
  
Nakuru poked Syaoran for the umpteenth time and watched to see if he showed any signs of being alive. "Syaoran? Did you die?"  
  
Nakuru shook him lightly. "Syaoran! Wake up!"  
  
Syaoran's reply was to turn his head to the other side. Finally, Nakuru shook him back and forth against the seat. "YO! SYAORAN! WAAAAAAAAAAKKKEEEEEE UUPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
His eyes snapped open and he took in a deep breath of air. "What?!"  
  
Nakuru immediately released him and gave him a million-watt smile. "Oh, good you're awake."  
  
He glared at her, but she just couldn't be phased. "Come on, get the rest of your bags and let's head up to the apartment."  
  
Syaoran took a deep breath and shook his head, then followed Nakuru sullenly up to the apartment.  
  
She showed him to his room, where he set his bags down and looked around curiously. "Not too shabby."  
  
It wasn't anything special, just the regular cream colored walls with one window that faced the small town. There was a TV/VCR combo set on top of a plain brown table and a small desk near the window.  
  
He looked around a bit more and saw a closet door beside an old mahogany dresser. Yeah, he could live with this. His main concern was adjusting to the new people.  
  
He set his bags down, then flopped down on the bed, deciding to unpack later, and flipped on the TV. He smiled to himself as he flipped through the channels. 'Finally, a little freedom..........'  
  
~~~~~School~~~~~#$Sakura P.O.V.#$  
  
"So, he's coming in today?"  
  
"Right, Chiharu. I'm glad someone was listening when I told you guys that yesterday." He said, eyeing Rika and Naoko, who scowled pitifully.  
  
She grinned at him. "I'm so curious! I can't wait to meet him."  
  
Naoko leaned towards Eriol a bit with a sparkle in her eyes. "Say, is he........ya know........hot?"  
  
Eriol gave her a clearly disturbed look and I couldn't help but snort at it, which caused Eriol to turn on me. "Something funny, Sakura?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Do you think it's funny that Naoko just asked me if I consider my MALE COUSIN hot?"  
  
I smirked while everyone else just laughed. "Well, apparently I'm not the only one."  
  
Then Tomoyo nudged him. "Well? Is he? Huh? Huh?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.  
  
He groaned and put his head on the desk. "Not you too."  
  
"I'm just kidding! But I'm curious about him too. Give us some details."  
  
I rolled my eyes. All I needed to know was that they thought that Eriol's cousin and me would make a 'cute couple'. Blech. I've never had a boyfriend, I'm still a virgin, and I've never been kissed...  
  
Well, not that I know of. There were a few times in the past when I was too intoxicated to remember what I'd done.  
  
So, while they blabbered on, I looked out the window. Blue sky, sunny days, and a few picture perfect clouds.  
  
Oh, goody. The world looks like it's all sunshine and lollipops. For one, sun will cause you to get skin cancer and lollipops are really bad if they're sugar-free. And if they aren't, they're bad for your health.  
  
My thoughts quickly drifted to the sudden craving I had for a cigarette. So, I got up and proceeded to walk out of the classroom, receiving questioning looks from my friends.  
  
"Miss Kinomoto! Where do you think you're going?"  
  
"Outside."  
  
"I'm afraid I can't permit you to leave class without a pass."  
  
"Give me 15 minutes and I'll be back." I snapped.  
  
"Class is starting as soon as that bell rings, which is in 1 minute!"  
  
"Then I'll be late for class. See ya."  
  
I slammed the door on her protests and walked down the hall, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of my pocket as I went.  
  
I walked outside to find a guy smoking a joint. He looked like he was real high in the clouds, so I just walked right past him, until he spoke to me. "Hey, you're Sakura Kinomoto, aren't you?"  
  
I stopped and looked at him suspiciously. "Yeah."  
  
He smirked and took another drag off his joint. "I hear you used to deal drugs last year."  
  
"What are you getting at?"  
  
"You still got some? I'm getting low on supply, and I thought you might at least know somebody who's got some good stuff."  
  
"I don't do that shit anymore, and half the dealers I did business with got caught, and I don't know where the others are."  
  
"So, you don't do that shit anymore, huh? But I see that you still manage to get some cigs." He gestured to the one I was holding in my hand. "I know you're underage. Who'd you get those from?"  
  
I grit my teeth and did my best to hold back and not punch the guy's face out. "I used a fake ID"  
  
"Hmm. Whatever."  
  
When it was obvious he wasn't going to say anything else, I glared at him and walked over to one of the benches and lit my cigarette. I took a long drag and relaxed into the cold seat.  
  
It wasn't like this hadn't happened before. Plenty of people thought I still did drugs, and I don't blame them. I'm pretty screwed up for just being a sophomore.  
  
Potheads asked me to deal to them or tell them who to go to. I never did.  
  
Preps and judgmentals called me a druggie behind my back when they thought I couldn't hear them. But they don't realize that they whisper real fucking loud.  
  
I actually got a 3-day suspension for knocking out this one chick who told me I was a "druggie bitch who needed to get laid so that I would relax and stop being such a freak."  
  
In reply, I told her that she could "go fuck herself and all her little preppy slut-wannabe friends, then maybe SHE could relax and learn that she's the one who's going to end up a crack whore on the streets."  
  
Then I punched her lights out.  
  
I looked down at my cigarette again. I really hated my life. But you know what the sad part was? I didn't even know why. I guess I was just sick of living. Sure, my friends are interesting and all, but it's just so routine. I need something different. Maybe some traveling or something.  
  
I shrugged my shoulders, then stood up and stomped out my cigarette. As I walked back to class, I fleetingly wondered if maybe Eriol's cousin would add some spice.  
  
Then I thought 'Eh, fuck it, who cares?'  
  
The rest of the day went pretty normally. I was informed that I was going to have to stay 15 minutes after school because of my tardiness. I shrugged and gave my usual reply of "Whatever."  
  
And that's where I am now. 5 more minutes and I'm outta here. I'd rather be making out with Eriol's currently unknown cousin than have to sit around here. (a/n- Wouldn't we all......)  
  
I sighed and watched as the clock ticked in its painfully slow rhythm.  
  
~~~~~Eriol~~~~ #$Normal P.O.V.#$  
  
Tomoyo groaned. "Sakura, dear, I love you, I do, but must you always be a bad-ass?"  
  
Chiharu patted her shoulder in comfort. "Of course, otherwise she wouldn't be the authentic, I'm-gonna-kick-your-ass-or-rip-it-off-your-body Sakura that we've come to love."  
  
Tomoyo grinned. "That pretty much said it all."  
  
Eriol shook his head, then took out his cell phone and dialed the home number, then waited for an answer.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Syaoran?"  
  
"No, I'm a stalker in your apartment going through your underwear drawer." Was the sarcastic answer.  
  
"Oh, well, tell me then, which one do you think is sexier, the black leather boxers or the red g-string?"  
  
Everyone but Tomoyo gave him a curiously disgusted look. Tomoyo just grinned. "Black boxers, definitely."  
  
"Eriol, please don't ever make me think about that again."  
  
"Sure. Well, I'm glad to see Nakuru didn't forget you. Was she late?"  
  
"Nope, she was right on time. She also tells me that you're bringing your friends over today, right?"  
  
"Right. That's okay with you, isn't it? Because if you're tired from jet lag, they could just come another day."  
  
"No, that's fine. It'll be good to know somebody besides you tomorrow."  
  
Eriol grinned. "Great. Hey, where's Nakuru right now?"  
  
"At the grocery store getting ingredients for a chocolate cake."  
  
"Oh, goody."  
  
"Do you even know how to bake a cake?"  
  
"By following the directions on the box?"  
  
"You guys must be eating out a lot."  
  
"Oh, I can tell that this is gonna be a fun year, Syaoran. Well, we'll be there soon, so if you've been partying too hard, clean up now."  
  
"Well, I better get started so that you guys don't slip on the vodka I spilled."  
  
"All right. See ya in a few."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Eriol turned off his phone, then looked back at the rest of the group. "He says it's still fine for you guys to come."  
  
"That's nice, but, uh...Eriol, dare I ask what your conversation had to do with bondage-type underwear?" asked Chiharu, who looked a little queasy.  
  
"Long story."  
  
"Don't make it short for us, please!"  
  
He put his hands on his hips and glared. "What? You don't think that I would look good in leather boxers or a g-string?"  
  
"Boy, I'm glad I missed that conversation."  
  
Everyone turned around to see Sakura staring at Eriol like he was dressed as a dancing girl. "I don't even wanna know. Let's just go and meet your cousin. I've gotta cook dinner tonight, so let's hurry."  
  
Everyone walked along peacefully, listening to Naoko and Yamazaki argue over how horror stories came into existence.  
  
But after a while, they had reached Eriol's apartment, where he noticed; Nakuru's car was gone from the parking lot.  
  
After they were in front of the apartment, Eriol took out his key to unlock the door, but instead Syaoran opened the door expectantly. "Hey."  
  
Eriol smiled. "Syaoran, how was your flight?"  
  
"There was a hyper 5-year-old sitting behind me. Do I need to continue?"  
  
"No. Well, come on in, everyone."  
  
Syaoran opened the door fully and everyone walked in, Sakura being the last. When she entered, she turned to look at the mysterious cousin she'd heard about, and he did the same.  
  
They exchanged a neutral glance and Syaoran gave a small nod in her direction, which she returned.  
  
"Well, Syaoran, this is Chiharu, Yamazaki, Sakura, Rika, Naoko, and of course, Tomoyo." He said, gesturing to each person, and flashing an extra grin to Tomoyo, who rolled her eyes playfully.  
  
Syaoran gave a small smile. "It's nice to meet you all."  
  
They all smiled, save Sakura and muttered small replies, then Naoko immediately burst out the first of a long string of questions.  
  
"So, is Hong Kong really as glamorous and violent as they say it is?"  
  
Syaoran looked surprised at the bluntness of the question. "Not really. It's more violent than some places, yeah, but it's not exactly 'Grand Theft Auto' or anything. At least not from what I've seen."  
  
Tomoyo smiled sweetly at him. "It's nice to finally meet you. We've all been looking forward to meeting this mysterious cousin of Eriol's."  
  
"It's nice to finally meet the wonderful Tomoyo I've heard so much about from Eriol."  
  
Eriol's face tinged red and he snuck a shy glance at Tomoyo, who smiled. "You flatter me."  
  
Then he turned his gaze on the bored Sakura. "So, you're Sakura."  
  
She met his curious gaze with an intense one of her own. "And you're my 'match.'"  
  
He snorted. "Oh no, did they tell you that too?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah. I think you should be careful. They like to manipulate people into thinking strange things."  
  
"Have you been a victim thus far?"  
  
"Not yet. As long as I'm still smarter than them, I'm fine."  
  
"It shouldn't take too much effort to be smarter than Eriol, but Tomoyo might be the one with the evil plans here."  
  
She eyed Tomoyo, who smiled like the Cheshire cat.  
  
"I have my suspicions about her too." Then she turned her head towards Eriol. "Hey, do you have anything to drink?"  
  
"Sure. There's some sodas in the fridge."  
  
She muttered quick thanks and walked into the kitchen. Syaoran quirked an eyebrow at him. "Well, we might hook up to plan your untimely demise or something, but other than that, I don't think that either one of us see too much of a dating future."  
  
"Untimely demise?"  
  
Tomoyo patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. "Try not to think about it. You might have nightmares."  
  
"Wow, I feel much better now."  
  
She giggled and smiled serenely at Syaoran. "Give it some time, you might be surprised what kind of effect a few weeks time can have on a relationship."  
  
Suddenly, Syaoran found himself face-to-face with Yamazaki. "Speaking of time, did you happen to know that time was inv -"  
  
He was cut off quickly by Chiharu's hand clamping his mouth shut. "You'll have to forgive him, he has a bad habit of telling stories that AREN'T TRUE." She said, glaring heatedly at the poor male in her grasp.  
  
A muffled chuckle came from Yamazaki, and the group burst into laughter.  
  
"You'll get used to it after awhile, considering they go through this routine EVERY. DAY." commented Rika sarcastically.  
  
"So, do you think you're gonna miss your friends in Hong Kong?" asked Naoko.  
  
"Not really......." He said, trailing off uncomfortably.  
  
Eriol eyed him skeptically. "Be honest, Syaoran, are you gonna miss anything about Hong Kong?"  
  
Syaoran grinned and shook his head. "Nope. I am finally FREE!"  
  
Yamazaki gave him a sound slap on the back and nodded. "Right on! And now you can go with us to raves and clubs and wild frat parties!"  
  
"Uh................"  
  
Chiharu growled in frustration. "Yamazaki is lying, again. We don't go to clubs because we're not old enough."  
  
Naoko continued for her. "We don't go to raves because there's no good place to have them around here."  
  
Everyone blinked in confusion, then Naoko laughed nervously. "I was just kidding, guys! We don't go to raves because 1- we're not invited. 2- Our parents would kill us. Syaoran, Sakura, and Eriol are the only ones who could do that without getting into any trouble."  
  
Tomoyo nodded. "Yeah, you 2 could do it because Nakuru's not exactly the responsible adult type. Hell, she'd probably be going too, so she could give you a ride."  
  
Eriol nodded in agreement. "Wouldn't surprise me."  
  
"And Sakura could get away with it because her dad is out of town half the time, and she knows how to sneak out without getting caught."  
  
Suddenly Rika stood up and slipped her jacket back on. "I gotta go guys. Mom's gonna freak if I'm not home soon. She probably thinks that I was kidnapped, raped by numerous men, and now I'm crying my eyes out in a cold, deserted alley all by myself without a friend in the world."  
  
Naoko snorted. "Probably. I guess we should all get going. It was nice meeting you, Syaoran. Oh, can I call you Syaoran? Or should I use Li?"  
  
"Syaoran's fine. I'll see you tomorrow!"  
  
"Oh, good, so you are coming to school. See you then!"  
  
Tomoyo smiled. "I'm gonna wait for Sakura, so I'll see ya later."  
  
"See ya then!" said Rika with a dramatic wave before closing the door behind her.  
  
"Where is Sakura, anyway?" asked Eriol.  
  
"Right here. I was just having so much fun watching your conversation that I just couldn't interrupt."  
  
The other 3 looked up to see Sakura standing in the doorway of the kitchen sipping a soda calmly.  
  
Then she walked to the door and slung her bag over her shoulder. "C'mon, Tomoyo, let's get going. I need to stop and buy a pack of cigs before I go home, do you mind?"  
  
"I thought I told you to quit."  
  
"You did."  
  
Tomoyo sighed and shook her head. "You'll get cancer."  
  
"Or I could live to the ripe old age of 100 and become the little old lady who sits outside on her porch swing smoking all day and throws sharp objects at innocent children who walk by."  
  
"If you keep it up, you might actually live to the ripe old age of 30, is more like it."  
  
Sakura rolled her eyes and walked out the door. "You coming or not?"  
  
Tomoyo nodded. "Somehow I always end up going with you anyway." She picked up her bag and gave the 2 boys a small wave. "Nice meeting you, Syaoran. See you 2 tomorrow!"  
  
"It was nice meeting you both!"  
  
Sakura gave a small nod, then slammed the door harshly behind her.  
  
"She smokes?"  
  
Eriol nodded. "Yep. Has been for a while."  
  
"Oh. How old is she?"  
  
"Old enough that she has to get them illegally, if that's what you mean. She's 15, but she'll be 16 soon enough. She's a dark one, but she didn't have a nice past. It's good that the only thing she smokes is cigarettes now. It used to be much worse. She was a dealer at one point, but it's not my place to really say anything else."  
  
"And how do you know all this?"  
  
"Tomoyo. I wanted to know about Sakura's past, so she told me."  
  
"She just told you?"  
  
"Oh, well, I had to sleep with her first, but-"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I'm kidding! Actually, she accidentally let it slip one day, and that's the only reason I know. I don't know anything else about Sakura's past except that her mother died when she was younger and she lives with her brother and father now."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Before the conversation could continue, the phone rang shrilly. Eriol picked it up quickly. "Hello?"  
  
After a few seconds, he turned to Syaoran. "It's Meiling, she wants to talk to you."  
  
Syaoran paled and shook his head fiercely. "No!"  
  
"Just kidding. It's Nakuru. She's getting take-out. You can go and take a nap if you want. Oh, and she picked up your school uniform on the way too."  
  
"Okay. I think I'll go ahead and take that nap. Wake me up for dinner though."  
  
"I will."  
  
Syaoran wandered back into his room and flopped down on the bed. 'Well, so far, so good. I guess I'm just playing it by ear from now on. But, still, I have freedom now! No more chains and restraints!'  
  
He grinned happily at the thought.  
  
'And best of all, no clingy, insane female family members........'  
  
.  
  
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.  
  
Well, that's the longest chapter yet! Sorry that the some of the dialogue was just 'blah', but I'll try to make up for it by updating faster (I hope).  
  
Goodbye for now, lovely readers and reviewers!  
  
And please review!  
  
You know you want to....... 


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